Changeable letter display apparatus



y 1966 A. OFFENHAUER 7 CHANGEABLE LETTER DISPLAY APPARATUS Filed Dec.1., l964 INVENTOR. 6L E/V/V A. OFFENHAUER United States Patent 3,258,870CHANGEABLE LETTER DISPLAY APPARATUS: Glenn A. Oifenhauer, Palmetto,Fla., assignor to Florida Plastics, Inc., Palmetto, Fla., a corporationof Florida Filed Dec. 1, 1964, Ser. No. 414,990 1 Claim. (Cl. 40143) Thepresent invention relates to a changeable letter arrangement adapted tobe used with perforated boards or sheets or standard pegboard.

Pegboard has been an adaptable item of multifaceted utility and has inthe past even been adapted for the display of letters, signs andsymbols.

In the past complicated arrangements have been made for such displayrequiring complicated holding means and holding devices. Also, letterdisplays have been provided, depending upon complicated or expensiveboard structure.

According to the present invention, a versatile inexpensive hook and pinassembly is provided, allowing for stability of display, ease inpreparation for use and ease in mounting and dismounting.

Although such novel feature or features believed to be characteristic ofthe invention are pointed out in the claim, the invention and the mannerin which it may be carried out may be further understood by reference tothe description following and the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a display of letters of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is a section of FIG. lat lines 2-2.

FIG. 3 is a section of FIG. 1 at lines 3-3.

FIG. 4 is a section of FIG. 1 at lines 4-4.

FIG. 5 is a detail of a hook of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a detail of a pin of the present invention.

Referring now to the figures in greater detail, where like referencenumbers denote like parts in the various figures.

The present invention is a new combination of letters 1 or other symbolsadapted to be mounted on a pegboard 2.

Usual pegboard 2 comprises a fibre board of hardened fibre withregularly spaced openings 3, illustrated in detail in FIG. 1, thebalance of such openings 3 at the marked points 4 as shown in FIG. 1.

The letters 1 each include at least one hook 5 and preferably at leastone pin 6.

The letters 1, hooks 5 and pins 6 are preferably of plastic and may comeas a kit including hooks and pins 6 mounting means such as cement ormeans to thermoplastically bond the hooks 5 and pins 6 to the letters 1at appropriate points.

The hook 5 comprises a rounded portion 7 whose outer surface completesan arc of about a quarter circle. The rounded portion has a diameterjust somewhat smaller than that of the openings 3. The rounded portion 7ends at a wider portion 8 which extends from a mounting base 9. The hook5 may be integral to a letter 1 or may be separately mounted spaced tofit letters on a board as shown in FIG. 1. The mounting of the hook 5may be by conventional means such as cement or thermoplastic welding.While the outer diametric measurements of the rounded portion 7 shouldbe smaller than the openings 3, the rounded portions may have a round,flat or a square cross-sectional configuration or other without changingthe effect of the present invention.

The inside surface 10 of the hook 5 between the rounded portion 7 andthe wider portion 8 is preferably flat and of a length generally tocoincide with the thickness of usual pegboard 2.

The pin 6 has a protruberance 11 preferably of a diameter just smallerthan the pegboard opening 3 and usually of a round configuration. Theprotuberance usually extends about the thickness of the pegboard 2 andends as a flared collar 12 extending from a portion 13 wider than theprotuberance 11 which is mounted on a base 14.

The pin 6 may be integral to the letter 1 or joined to it in the samemanner as the hook 5.

The pin 6 or pins 6 depending upon the needs of the letter 1 to bemounted, must be spaced so that they are coincidental with the pegboardopenings 3 when a letter 1 is mounted.

In use a letter 1 to be mounted is provided with an appropriately placedbook 5 or books 5 and pin 6 or pins. Where a plurality of hooks 5 areprovided such hooks 5 must be parallel to each other and spaced tocoincide with the openings 3.

A letter 1 to be mounted is placed at an angle with the hook 5 engagingan opening 3 as shown in FIG. 3 and then rotated downward into theopening. The inner surface 10 of the hook 5, the rounded portion 7 andthe wider portion 8 form a snug fit of the letter 1 and hook 5 on thepegboard 2 making the letter 1 unremovable from the pegboard 2 unlessrotated up again and slipped out.

The pin 6 protruberance 11 snugly engages the opening 3 holding thebottom portion of the letter 1 spaced away from the pegboard 2 and firmagainst lateral movement.

It is preferable that the distances between the wider portion 8 of thehook 5 and the letter 1 and the collar 12 of the pin 6 and the letter beapproximately equal so that the letters 1 are mounted parallel to thesurface of the pegboard 2.

Where letters 1 with peripheral flanges (not shown) are used, the lengthof the wider portion 8 of the hook 5 and the portion 13 of the pin 6 maybe adapted accordingly to permit proper aflixation of the letters 1spaced from the pegboard 2.

While the bases 9, 14 of the hook 5 and pin 6 have been shown in aspecific configuration, their shapes are not crucial as long as they areable to form a proper mount to the letters 1.

The hooks 5 and pins 6 are preferably plastic molded and suppliedseparate of the letters so the user can select the desired number ofhooks 5 and pins 6 for appropriate mounting of letters 1, using meansaforementioned.

Typical hook 5 and pin 6 placements can be seen dotted with regard tothe different letters 1 as shown in FIG. 1.

The terms and expressions which are employed are used as terms ofdescription, it is recognized, though, that various modifications arepossible within the scope of the invention claimed.

Having thus described certain forms of the invention in some detail,what is claimed is:

A plastic pegboard mountable article of manufacture comprising a letter,said letter including at least one hook; each book including; a curvedportion; said curved portion smaller than the diameter of a pegboardopening, the outer surface of said curved portion having an arc ofapproximately a quarter circle; another portion extending beyond saidcurved portion, said extending portion having a diameter greater thanthe diameter of said pegboard opening; a base; said curved portion andextending portion mounted on said base; said base atfixed to said lettermountable on said pegboard, at least one pin; each pin including aprotuberance smaller than the diameter of a pegboard opening; a portionextending beyond said protuberance, said extending portion having adiameter greater than the diameter of said peg-board opening; a base;said extending portion mounted on said base; said base affixed to saidletter mountable on said pegboard, and said hook and pin spaced apart onsaid letter and adapted to fit into the openings in a pegboard wherebysaid extending portions co-act to maintain said letter at apredetermined distance from and parallel to said pegboard.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 412,972 10/1889Mitchell 40-143 1,314,165 8/1919 Thoreau 40143 1,843,294 2/1932 Meyer40143 4 Young 40-143 Keuls 40-143 X Keuls 40-143 X Brittsan 40-143 VanBuren 40-143 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary l bmminer.

LAWRENCE CHARLES, SHELDON M. BENDER,

Assistant Examiners.

